Hi I'm Sam. I'm 22 years old. I'm a SUPER SENIOR and a English Literature Major, graduating this winter!! :)
Checkpoint #1: ~ For my project I will research the epic poem Beowulf. This project looks intense but I accept the challenge. I like how our directions our laid out in black and white. I believe that will really help me a lot in accomplishing this task.
Bonus Points:
~ My goal is to get as much done every Monday after school as possible. Mondays are my only day off from work, so I plan to use that to my advantage, not only will i do readings and research, but I also plan to do every weekly course journal as well as all assignments due that week on Monday by midnight! I plan to learn how to be really good at managing my time for this class! Also I want to make sure I take every opportunity there is to do extra credit!! *Important Dates* September 22, 2014- Checkpoint #1 October 15, 2014- Checkpoint #2 November 5, 2014- Checkpoint #3 November 24, 2014- Checkpoint #4 December 12, 2014- Journal Article
Annotative Bibliography: Why we cite:
retrieval
reliability
reproducibility
verification of authority
credit to prior researchers in the field
places research in the wider context of discipline, and can relate it to other disciplines
ensures retrievability of research for future study
What do we cite?
anything that isn’t common knowledge
word-for-word quotations
someone else’s ideas
websites
pictures and images
music and lyrics
videos and film
anything that is not your original idea
MLA Book Citation: Beane, Allen L. Bullying Prevention for schools: A Step-By-Step Guide to Implementing a Successful Anti-Bullying Program. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2009, Print.
Author
book title(always italicized)
where it was published
who it was published by
when it was published
Then its field whether its book or web etc.
In-text citation Author (Lewis 147) page number…to be used after direct quotes What is an Annotated Bibliography? An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to
Checkpoint #2: My topic: Beowulf
Summary:
The story begins in King Hrothgar’s kingdom, where the demon named Grendel is tormenting his warriors ever night In Heorot (the mead-hall). Grendel fights them and kills them all the time. Hrothgar calls out for help…Beowulf answers the call and accepts the challenge.
Once Beowulf arrives they have a feast to honor him, Grendel arrives to defeat them all once again, but this time Beowulf is there to fight them. He has no weapons with him and rips off Grendel’s arm, proving that he is stronger than the demon. Grendel retreats back to the swamp to die.
Hrothgar is so excited and they celebrate throughout the night.
But wait! It’s not over yet…Grendel’s mother is on the move to avenge her son’s death. She goes to Heorot and causes a ruckus, and murders Aeschere. This obviously pisses everyone at the feast of so they go to the swamp to kill her, Beowulf dives down into her hell deep under the water. He has with him a sword this time, and kills her in her lair. He then cuts of Grendel’s head, and brings it as a prize to Hrothgar.
Beowulf returns to Geatland, eventually his king named Hygelac is killed at war, and Beowulf takes over the throne and is now the King of the Geats.
A dragon decides to torment his kingdom; since he is now an old man and feels he will die soon anyways he goes to fight the dragon. He succeeds and kills the dragon; however the dragon managed to bite him in the neck, which kills him just a few moments after the Dragons death.
Characters to know:
Beowulf- The protagonist, and a heroic character, who saves Hrothgar’s kingdom as well as his own. King Hrothgar- He is the king of the Danes whom has Beowulf kill the demon Grendel as well as Grendel’s mother. Grendel- A demon whom preys on Hrothgar’s warriors, killing them until Beowulf comes around. Grendel’s Mother- She terrorizes the mead-hall, to avenge her son’s death, but gets killed by Beowulf. The dragon- Big part of the story because it’s the last monster Beowulf kills but it also ends Beowulf’s life. Aeschere- Hrothgar’s favorite, killed by Grendel’s mother. Hygelac- King of the Geats before Beowulf takes over.
Annotative Bibliography: Neidorf, Leonard. "Beowulf Before Beowulf: Anglo-Saxon Anthroponymy And Heroic Legend." Review Of English Studies 64.266 (2013): 553-573. Academic Search Complete. Web. 18 Oct. 2014.
This article was written by a man named Leonard Neidorf. He has vast knowledge in the studies of medieval literature. He works at Harvard University, as a scholar of medieval literature and the history of the English language itself. His publications contribute to various fields of research of Old English literature. He also is the editor of a collection known as The Dating of Beowulf, which I hope to find and use for this paper, because I find him to be a very knowledgeable man. The article has to do with the question of the nature of Beowulf as a hero himself, whether he was drawn from an actually traditional hero during the Anglo Saxon period, or if he was made-up by the poet himself. This particular article talks a lot about the Old English during this time period, and the relevance of certain names. In the end I don’t plan to use this article for my paper, however it did bring a lot of questions to light, and also introduced me to what appears to be a very intelligent man on this topic, whom I would like to use for the future.
EARL, JAMES W. "The Forbidden Beowulf: Haunted By Incest." PMLA: Publications Of The Modern Language Association Of America 125.2 (2010): 289-305. Academic Search Complete. Print.
This was written by James W Earl whom was an incredible man full of many accomplishments. He taught as a Prof. of English, at The University of Virginia, Fordham University, and University of Oregon. He is a man of many awards; Beatrice White Prize, best article on medieval literature, Year's Work in English Williams Grant for Teaching Innovation, Freeman Faculty Fellowship (Center for Asian and Pacific Studies), Rippey Award for Innovative Teaching, and the Wayne Westling Award for Faculty Leadership. The Forbidden Beowulf is a very strange very twisted interpretation of the novel itself. I never would have known any sort of “incest theme” present within the text if it weren’t for his interpretation and knowledge of Old English stories. Apparently Beowulf had a back-story, which intertwines with the incest idea, interesting news to me because I was never aware of this. Apparently Grendel and his mother are a little too close for comfort. According to Earl, Beowulf is just one part to a cycle of tales which when you read together brings many surprises, most importantly the hidden incest theme, which haunts Beowulf.
Moorman, Charles. "The Essential Paganism Of Beowulf." Modern Language Quarterly 28.1 (1967): 3. Academic Search Complete. Web. 18 Oct. 2014.
This is the one article I have read so far that I will actually use to write my paper, which just goes to show how extensive this project will be and how much I will learn about my topic Beowulf. This article was written by a man named Charles Moorman, whom was an English professor that wrote extensively on Middle English, and medieval literature. This particular article focuses on religion, which I believe is the path I wish to take for my paper because it is so widespread throughout the text. This particular article focuses mostly on Paganism rather than Christianity. It talks a lot about how all the evil things that take place is caused due to paganism, where the hero is a Christian. I really like the thought of religion inspiring this text and look forward to researching this topic more.
Checkpoint #3: My topic: Beowulf Annotative Bibliography: Reıs, Huriye. "DEDE KORKUT KİTABI VE BEOWULF DESTANINDA YAŞLILIK VE YAŞLANMA. (Turkish)." Milli Folklor 23.91 (2011): 25-36. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2014.
This PDF article really interested me; it was something I haven’t come across so far in my research. This particular article was written by a woman named Huriye Reis, whom is a professor in Turkey. I really found it interested that Beowulf is a powerful literature works that isn’t only present mostly in American Studies. This particular article though had to do with the aging of Beowulf throughout the story. Its main purpose is to study the aging of the characters and how the epic hero is so powerful in his youthful years, but as he grows old his strength and heroism diminishes which ultimately leads to his death. She point out how characters in Beowulf weaken with age, another example she made was how the great King Hrothgar can’t even defend his own land, he needs a youthful hero to save the day. They portray the old as weak and brittle. I don’t think speaking of the aging that takes place in Beowulf is anything that I would pursue, however Reis had an interesting take on the topic that I enjoyed reading.
Garcia, Christopher, Mr. "The Anglo-Saxon Hero." The Anglo-Saxon Hero. N.p., 20 Sept. 2001. Web. 04 Nov. 2014.
This particular article sparked an interest in my head. It is speaking a lot about what makes an Anglo Saxon hero. I always knew that Beowulf was a hero, but I never thought of picking an Anglo-Saxon viewpoint as a topic to write about, I’m considering to do more research on Anglo-Saxon’s and their history. This article basically discussed how in order to be considered an Anglo-Saxon hero; you not only have to portray strength but also courage and integrity. It then continues to quote certain points of the text to defend their ideas. He says, "I have never seen a mightier warrior on earth than is one of you, a man in battle-dress" to show Beowulf’s strength, as well as, this quote: "Fate often saves an undoomed man when his courage is good" in order to show Beowulf’s courage and that he is a true Anglo-Saxon hero.
I found this article through the work cited section in Anglo-Saxon Culture, because I was curious to see what was out there on Anglo-Saxon history. This article however was not one that I wish to use. All it did was literally talk about the History of the Anglo-Saxon’s which was interesting to read, but it didn’t tell me much on my Beowulf text as an Anglo-Saxon history. However, it did happen to point out that during this time Christianity was taking over, and trying to destroy any evidence of the Pagan religion, so its amazing that Beowulf is still around today. It got me thinking that I really should consider writing my Final paper on how Beowulf is a Pagan story, because it appears to me that every source I have found and read thus far speaks about the pagan religion being a huge part of the Beowulf story.
Reflection:
Hands down upon all the research I have done thus far, the most controversial and talked about topic within Beowulf is religion and whether this novel was a Pagan or Christian text. Religion is discussed within almost every piece of research I have found. However, Beowulf was originally a verbal story passed down by word of mouth which I find extremely interesting, because as we discussed in class, translations of text could almost make the text invalid, who knows how the text originated. It could have been a pagan story turned Christian or vice versa. They relate the religion to the monsters, because it most medieval cultures, a monster was a sign from God, as a form of punishment. Within Beowulf you see the monsters as a terrible threat to the human society, and that Beowulf (religious figure) is here to exercise the demons. All these evil creatures exist out of the human realm. For example, is the dragon supposed to represent the devil (or pagan religion) that Christianity was trying to wipe clean of the world. A traditional figure in Folklore for sin and evil is a dragon, so most of the research I found argues that perhaps the dragon is a malice that Beowulf must fight to prove his courage and purity. However, I find it interesting that Beowulf’s battle with the dragon ends in a mutual death, so was that meant to portray that there can’t be the good without the evil? Or perhaps maybe it is suppose to represent that you can never truly win in the fight against evil, it must come with a sacrifice.
Query: I was struggling to think of a potential topic until the day that we had the guest speakers on the Icelandic sagas. They brought to my attention the importance of family heritage within these Anglo-Saxon works. I then recalled the first few lines that Beowulf speaks when he says he is the son of Ecgtheow and owes his loyalty to Hygelac whom is his uncle and the Geatish King. This instantly raised a question for me. Why was it so important to inform everyone that his father is Ecgtheow, and why does he owe his loyalty to the Geatish King Hygelac? There was obviously a point Beowulf is trying to make, so it really got me thinking about whom his father was, and why he was so important. If the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree was he just as important as Beowulf? I’m especially curious as to whether he was a hero in these times as well. It appears to me that Beowulf almost states it as a bragging write…was his father a berserker? Perhaps he was saying have no fear the son of a berserker is here. I honestly don’t know why he was so important, but as I continue my research I plan on finding the answer to my question.
Checkpoint #4:
Abstract:
Genealogy is the most important factor that you must know in order to truly understand Beowulf. Why? Well that is simple; first you need to validate the stories. For example Beowulf says that his father was a great warrior, but anyone can say that, by knowing the genealogy of Beowulf you will be able to know Beowulf’s father was in fact a great warrior, but also an instigator for he started a huge blood feud that Hrothgar had to save him from. See what I did there? I already made a genealogy connection for you. Since Hrothgar saved Beowulf’s father, it is only right that Beowulf goes to Herot to save Hrothgar from the evil monster Grendel that keeps coming to attack him. I honestly believe that if Hrothgar hadn’t paid off the debt of the blood feud that Ecgtheow (Beowulf’s father) started, then Beowulf may not have gone to the rescue for Hrothgar. On the other hand, by knowing the genealogy of Beowulf’s life, you can also know that he lives for the glory; he wants to replace his father’s shoes and be just as great of a warrior. He also wants to be a great king just like Hrothgar, as well as his father Healfdane, his grandfather Beo, and great grandfather named Shild. Genealogy is also important so that you can gain a better understanding of ancestor’s possible involvement in historical events. Another reason to know the family history that occurs within Beowulf is so that you can learn the characters religious backgrounds, as well as where there family is from. There are so many benefits to knowing the genealogy within Beowulf, and you will see why when you read my Journal Article on Genealogy.
Annotative Bibliographies:
Ogilvy, Jack D. A., and Donald C. Baker. Reading “Beowulf.” Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1983.Review Of English Studies 64.266 553-573. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Dec. 2014.
Within this source I was able to find a modern view as well as thorough view of the epic poem Beowulf. The first thing this source does for you is provides a well written historical background of the poem, even containing a couple brief (yet somewhat pointless) summaries. It then goes into great depth discussing particular themes that occur in Beowulf, as well as different Anglo-Saxon writing and style techniques. Then it includes a wide-ranging bibliography so that I know the source is reliable, and even discusses the importance of genealogy within Beowulf as a whole. By far my favorite source I found.
"Genealogy: Beowulf and the Scyldings." Genealogy: Beowulf and the Scyldings. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2014.
This is not the most reliable source, although the author has done a lot of research as I could see within his Bibliography that he has. However, this particular source was very helpful to me in establishing a sort of basis in the genealogy that occurs within Beowulf. It allowed me to better understand where Beowulf came from and his blood ties to certain people. I was also able to learn a little bit about his mother and her family, as well as how his father was really known for his heroism, which explains why Beowulf is chasing after that very same remembrance. It seems to me like Beowulf wanted to live up to his father’s expectations, and fill his shoes after he is gone.
This is an internet source that I found, which I know isn’t the most reliable however; it is the one that has helped me the greatest thus far. It helps when trying to understand some of the characters whom don’t get discussed much, which is perfect for me since I need to know the background of all the characters in order to relate them within their family tree. I think most importantly it helped me really understand the relationship between Hrothgar and Beowulf. Did I like this source? Yes absolutely. However, I wouldn’t recommend it for someone writing a research paper of this extent because this alone is not going to help you with a research paper. It is simply to help you just build up your background knowledge of the text.
Argument against a scholarly article:
Norma, Kroll. ‘Beowulf’: The Hero as Keeper of Human Polity. Modern Philology. Vol.84 No.2 (Nov. 1986) 117-129. JSTOR. Web. 24, November 2014.
This is an article that I didn’t use as an annotative bibliography although I did enjoy Kroll’s take on religion within the text of Beowulf. She even uses a bit of genealogy stating how Grendel is a decedent from Cain whom is an evil biblical character and the first born child from Adam and Eve, whom kills his brother out of spite and envy. Norma Kroll states that Beowulf is choosing to fight the “evil” Grendel as a choice to follow God’s will. However I completely disagree with this statement on every level. Beowulf isn’t fighting Grendel for God; he is fighting Grendel so that he can get all the fame and glory! Why do you think the fights Grendel with his bare hands…I know he says that he doesn’t believe the sword would pierce the skin, but the truth behind the matter is that Beowulf wants the oooooohs and aaaaahs that would come with him showing off his strength, and killing a beast such as Grendel that no one else can seem to defeat. Beowulf is a typical man simply after the fame and glory.
Hi I'm Sam. I'm 22 years old. I'm a SUPER SENIOR and a English Literature Major, graduating this winter!! :)
Checkpoint #1:
~ For my project I will research the epic poem Beowulf. This project looks intense but I accept the challenge. I like how our directions our laid out in black and white. I believe that will really help me a lot in accomplishing this task.
Bonus Points:
~ My goal is to get as much done every Monday after school as possible. Mondays are my only day off from work, so I plan to use that to my advantage, not only will i do readings and research, but I also plan to do every weekly course journal as well as all assignments due that week on Monday by midnight! I plan to learn how to be really good at managing my time for this class! Also I want to make sure I take every opportunity there is to do extra credit!!*Important Dates*
September 22, 2014- Checkpoint #1
October 15, 2014- Checkpoint #2
November 5, 2014- Checkpoint #3
November 24, 2014- Checkpoint #4
December 12, 2014- Journal Article
Annotative Bibliography:
Why we cite:
- retrieval
- reliability
- reproducibility
- verification of authority
- credit to prior researchers in the field
- places research in the wider context of discipline, and can relate it to other disciplines
- ensures retrievability of research for future study
What do we cite?- anything that isn’t common knowledge
- word-for-word quotations
- someone else’s ideas
- websites
- pictures and images
- music and lyrics
- videos and film
- anything that is not your original idea
MLA Book Citation:Beane, Allen L. Bullying Prevention for schools: A Step-By-Step Guide to Implementing a Successful Anti-Bullying Program. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2009, Print.
- Author
- book title(always italicized)
- where it was published
- who it was published by
- when it was published
- Then its field whether its book or web etc.
In-text citationAuthor (Lewis 147) page number…to be used after direct quotes
What is an Annotated Bibliography?
An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to
Checkpoint #2:
My topic: Beowulf
Summary:
Characters to know:
Beowulf- The protagonist, and a heroic character, who saves Hrothgar’s kingdom as well as his own.
King Hrothgar- He is the king of the Danes whom has Beowulf kill the demon Grendel as well as Grendel’s mother.
Grendel- A demon whom preys on Hrothgar’s warriors, killing them until Beowulf comes around.
Grendel’s Mother- She terrorizes the mead-hall, to avenge her son’s death, but gets killed by Beowulf.
The dragon- Big part of the story because it’s the last monster Beowulf kills but it also ends Beowulf’s life.
Aeschere- Hrothgar’s favorite, killed by Grendel’s mother.
Hygelac- King of the Geats before Beowulf takes over.
Quick Facts:
Annotative Bibliography:
Neidorf, Leonard. "Beowulf Before Beowulf: Anglo-Saxon Anthroponymy And Heroic Legend." Review Of English Studies 64.266 (2013): 553-573. Academic Search Complete. Web. 18 Oct. 2014.
EARL, JAMES W. "The Forbidden Beowulf: Haunted By Incest." PMLA: Publications Of The Modern Language Association Of America 125.2 (2010): 289-305. Academic Search Complete. Print.
Moorman, Charles. "The Essential Paganism Of Beowulf." Modern Language Quarterly 28.1 (1967): 3. Academic Search Complete. Web. 18 Oct. 2014.
Checkpoint #3:
My topic: Beowulf
Annotative Bibliography:
Reıs, Huriye. "DEDE KORKUT KİTABI VE BEOWULF DESTANINDA YAŞLILIK VE YAŞLANMA. (Turkish)." Milli Folklor 23.91 (2011): 25-36. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2014.
Garcia, Christopher, Mr. "The Anglo-Saxon Hero." The Anglo-Saxon Hero. N.p., 20 Sept. 2001. Web. 04 Nov. 2014.
Delahoyde, Michael, Mr. "Anglo-Saxon Culture." Anglo-Saxon Culture. N.p., 6 Jan. 1998. Web. 04 Nov. 2014.
Reflection:
Hands down upon all the research I have done thus far, the most controversial and talked about topic within Beowulf is religion and whether this novel was a Pagan or Christian text. Religion is discussed within almost every piece of research I have found. However, Beowulf was originally a verbal story passed down by word of mouth which I find extremely interesting, because as we discussed in class, translations of text could almost make the text invalid, who knows how the text originated. It could have been a pagan story turned Christian or vice versa. They relate the religion to the monsters, because it most medieval cultures, a monster was a sign from God, as a form of punishment. Within Beowulf you see the monsters as a terrible threat to the human society, and that Beowulf (religious figure) is here to exercise the demons. All these evil creatures exist out of the human realm. For example, is the dragon supposed to represent the devil (or pagan religion) that Christianity was trying to wipe clean of the world. A traditional figure in Folklore for sin and evil is a dragon, so most of the research I found argues that perhaps the dragon is a malice that Beowulf must fight to prove his courage and purity. However, I find it interesting that Beowulf’s battle with the dragon ends in a mutual death, so was that meant to portray that there can’t be the good without the evil? Or perhaps maybe it is suppose to represent that you can never truly win in the fight against evil, it must come with a sacrifice.
Query:
I was struggling to think of a potential topic until the day that we had the guest speakers on the Icelandic sagas. They brought to my attention the importance of family heritage within these Anglo-Saxon works. I then recalled the first few lines that Beowulf speaks when he says he is the son of Ecgtheow and owes his loyalty to Hygelac whom is his uncle and the Geatish King. This instantly raised a question for me. Why was it so important to inform everyone that his father is Ecgtheow, and why does he owe his loyalty to the Geatish King Hygelac? There was obviously a point Beowulf is trying to make, so it really got me thinking about whom his father was, and why he was so important. If the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree was he just as important as Beowulf? I’m especially curious as to whether he was a hero in these times as well. It appears to me that Beowulf almost states it as a bragging write…was his father a berserker? Perhaps he was saying have no fear the son of a berserker is here. I honestly don’t know why he was so important, but as I continue my research I plan on finding the answer to my question.
Checkpoint #4:
Abstract:
Genealogy is the most important factor that you must know in order to truly understand Beowulf. Why? Well that is simple; first you need to validate the stories. For example Beowulf says that his father was a great warrior, but anyone can say that, by knowing the genealogy of Beowulf you will be able to know Beowulf’s father was in fact a great warrior, but also an instigator for he started a huge blood feud that Hrothgar had to save him from. See what I did there? I already made a genealogy connection for you. Since Hrothgar saved Beowulf’s father, it is only right that Beowulf goes to Herot to save Hrothgar from the evil monster Grendel that keeps coming to attack him. I honestly believe that if Hrothgar hadn’t paid off the debt of the blood feud that Ecgtheow (Beowulf’s father) started, then Beowulf may not have gone to the rescue for Hrothgar. On the other hand, by knowing the genealogy of Beowulf’s life, you can also know that he lives for the glory; he wants to replace his father’s shoes and be just as great of a warrior. He also wants to be a great king just like Hrothgar, as well as his father Healfdane, his grandfather Beo, and great grandfather named Shild. Genealogy is also important so that you can gain a better understanding of ancestor’s possible involvement in historical events. Another reason to know the family history that occurs within Beowulf is so that you can learn the characters religious backgrounds, as well as where there family is from. There are so many benefits to knowing the genealogy within Beowulf, and you will see why when you read my Journal Article on Genealogy.
Annotative Bibliographies:
Ogilvy, Jack D. A., and Donald C. Baker. Reading “Beowulf.” Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1983.Review Of English Studies 64.266 553-573. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Dec. 2014.
"Genealogy: Beowulf and the Scyldings." Genealogy: Beowulf and the Scyldings. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2014.
"Beowulf Analysis - ENotes.com." Enotes.com. Enotes.com, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.
Argument against a scholarly article:
Norma, Kroll. ‘Beowulf’: The Hero as Keeper of Human Polity. Modern Philology. Vol.84 No.2 (Nov. 1986) 117-129. JSTOR. Web. 24, November 2014.